Game calls have existed in many different forms for many years. Game calls are generally used to lure or attract game animals by simulating sounds of those particular game animals.
With respect to hunting big game animals, a common tactic for luring animals is to make sounds of a female animal. North American elk, for example, are drawn toward sounds of a cow elk. Cow elk are attracted to and will move in the direction of cow elk sounds. The same is true for bull elk, particularly during the rut (the mating season for elk). By making cow elk sounds, both cows and bulls tend to relax and believe that a herd is nearby.
One particular problem that has surfaced in recent times is the overuse of game calls by hunters in the field, particularly in areas receiving heavy hunting pressure. For this reason, new types of game calls capable of making new, authentic sounds are constantly being developed to change the traditional game calling methods to lure game animals.
“Fighting cow elk sounds” are certain types of cow elk sounds believed to be particularly luring to a bull elk. These sounds may result when two cow elk begin to fight at the time one of the cow elk is ready to be bred. When cow elk fight in these particular circumstances, the two fighting cows rear up on their hind hooves and try to kick each other with their front legs while they make the fighting cow sounds. These sounds may also result simply when one cow elk in estrus is ready to be bred makes a sound and another cow elk makes a similar sound to compete for the bull's attention. Apparently bull elk that hear fighting cow elk sounds come in quickly thinking that one of the cows will be receptive to breeding. Fighting cow elk sounds overlap each other in time because the cows make such sounds at the same time they are competing for attention or are fighting. Such sounds are also distinct, relative to other types of elk sounds, because they carry a tone of urgency, are made in rapid succession, and extend over a relatively high range of tones (tones that change from higher tones to lower tones).
Recently, various game call companies have developed a new type of game call—the so-called hyper call—to simulate sounds described above when two cows are fighting and one is ready to be bred. These new types of “hyper” calls are generally mouth-blown calls having a reed that vibrates when air is forced over its free end. When the reed is producing sound, the user moves his or her upper or lower lip along the length of the reed to change the effective length of the reed and thereby change the tones produced by the game call. These hyper calls typically produce a series of notes which go from high notes (where the effective length of the reed is relatively short) to low notes (where the effective length of the reed is relatively long).
Similar to other types of game calling, however, game animals have quickly become accustomed to the “hyper” sounds made by hunters in the field. Accordingly, the “hyper” calls are now considered less effective than when they were first used by hunters a few years ago. Thus, there is a need to develop yet a new sounding game call which is authentic sounding and is a new type of call that hunters can use in the field to lure game animals.
Another challenge faced by game call users relates to the need to create multiple sounds, or at least sounds in rapid succession, coming from different locations to simulate an entire herd of game animals. Animals, particularly elk, feel more secure in a group. Elk understand that there is safety in numbers. Hunters sometimes carry multiple calls into the field and blow through each call in sequence to sound like multiple animals in a herd. Hunters also attempt to “throw” calls (by cupping their hands or using a tube) in different directions to sound like a herd of animals. While this type of calling can be effective, there remains a need to develop a game call that more efficiently and more accurately simulates the sound of multiple animals at the same time.
Over the years, game calls that involve separate, side-by-side calls or end-on-end calls have been developed. Such game calls are designed so that only one of the game calls is to be positioned inside the user's mouth at a time. Furthermore, game call fasteners and other similar mechanisms have been developed which allow multiple game calls to be coupled together and held by a lanyard around a person's neck. A primary purpose of these types of fastening devices is to prevent the various game calls from clanking together and making noise while in the field. Here also, the intent is that the user of the game calls will use only one game call at a time. Such fasteners allow game calls to be maintained close together in the field so that the user can switch to other calls quickly and handily, as appropriate.